We are honored to partner with our friends of Zen Caregiving Project for this valuable series
Click here to pre-register for the series.
Please visit Zen Caregiving Project to learn more about and support their mission.

This series is designed to support caregivers to deepen their understanding and cultivation of compassion in the context of their work. In the best of circumstances, end-of-life care can strain one’s inherent inclination to act compassionately, and during the current circumstances of the pandemic, the strain is amplified. By understanding the dynamics of compassion, caregivers can more easily address short and long-term obstacles to compassionate care. Directing compassion toward self as well as others increases one’s sense of purpose, meaning, and well-being. This series will combine instruction with periods of meditation and interactive exercises.

March 31 530-7pm (EST) Session 1: Mindfulness: The foundation of compassionate action
Learning objectives: In this session, participants will offer a working definition of mindfulness and summarize its role in the process of experiencing compassion.  They will be prepared to apply mindfulness techniques in the context of their work to address stress and strengthen compassion.

April 7 530-7pm (EST) Session 2: Empathy: Deepening our connection
Learning objectives: In this session, participants will describe the subjective characteristics of their affective response to witnessing another’s suffering.  They will summarize the role of empathy in the process of experiencing compassion. And, they will apply methods to address empathic distress when encountering overwhelming suffering.

April 14 5:30 – 7pm (EST) Session 3: Inspired Action: The courage to care
Learning objectives: In this session, participants will describe ways to strengthen compassion. They will contrast the difference between an intention to act compassionately and actual compassionate action. They will list at least three common barriers to compassion and will summarize the long-term effects of not taking action when the intention to act exists.

April 21 5:30 – 7pm (EST) Session 4 Self-compassion: Serving ourselves so we can serve others
Learning objectives: In this session, participants will associate negative self-judgement with chronic unhappiness, and differentiate between evaluations or judgments and observed facts. They will describe the three components of self-compassion and apply a four-step practice for alleviating overwhelm and burden.

Zen Caregiving Project is a non-profit organization based in San Francisco, California with over 30 years of experience in practicing and teaching mindfulness-based, compassionate caregiving. We offer courses, workshops, and training for professional, family, clinical, and volunteer caregivers. Through our work, we provide a context for public discussion of caregiving, loss, and death